Category Archives: Uncategorized

August 17, 2010 – The Toy Story Playland Area Opens in Disneyland Paris

“Thanks to the creative minds of Pixar Studios and our Disney Imagineers, Guests of all ages can now feel what it’s like to be shrunk to the size of a toy and to become literally part of the Toy Story universe in Andy’s backyard.”

On August 17, 2010, the Toy Story Playland area opened in the Walt Disney Studios Park of Disneyland Paris. Based on the Toy Story franchise, the area contains three main attractions: Toy Story Parachute Drop, Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin, and RC Racer. These attractions give guests the impression that they have shrunk down to the size of a toy and are on adventures with Buzz and Woody. A similar area opened in Hong Kong Disneyland and is called Toy Story Land.

August 16, 1999 – The Game Show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Premieres on ABC

“Starting tonight, and every night for the next two weeks, join us from New York City as we play Who Wants to Be a Millionaire!”

On August 16, 1999, the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire premiered on ABC, running every night for two weeks. The show, based on an British game show, was hosted by Regis Philbin and became a nationwide craze, with as many as 15 million viewers watching the show after the show’s first week. This show also spawned a Disney park attraction in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, with both opening in 2001. The success of the show helped ABC fix its flagging spot as one of the top three networks. The show was brought back November 7 through November 21, and then brought back as a prime-time series on June 27, 2002.

On August 15, 2008, the restaurant Kouzinna by Cat Cora opened in Walt Disney World’s Boardwalk area. Replacing the restaurant Spoodles, the restaurant was created by Iron Chef Cat Cora, and features a Mediterranean-style cuisine inspired by Cora’s own Greek heritage. The restaurant’s name, Kouzzina, means “kitchen” in Greek. The restaurant closed on September 30, 2014, and was replated by Trattoria al Forno.

August 14, 2007 – The Nintendo DS Game High School Musical: Makin’ the Cut is Released

“The worldwide runaway Disney Channel movie hit – “High School Musical” – now comes to the small-screen on the Nintendo DS in an all new game…that takes players across America as they compete in the ultimate musical competition.”

On August 14, 2007, the Nintendo DS game High School Musical: Makin’ the Cut was released. Promoting the Disney Channel Original Movie franchise High School Musical, the game features the cast in a rhythm game setup in the guise of a national music competition. When released, the game had online features that allowed players to compete with friends and show off personal video clips of their dances; this feature has been disabled since May 20, 2014.

On August 13, 1945, the educational film Tuberculosis was delivered to the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. The Disney Studios had a series of “good neighbor” films during World War II that stressed the importance of cleanliness and other issues that affected areas of South America; this film was one of the first in a series addressing health concerns and the steps that need to be taken to cure someone of the disease. Though an English version was produced, the film was created entirely in Spanish.

On August 12, 2012, the Princess Fantasy Faire attraction in Disneyland closed. Open since October 6, 2006, the area provided guests with a chance to meet the Disney princesses, and was located right next to Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Guests were also able to participate in an interactive storytelling experience with a princess, and learn how to be a true princess or a knight in a coronation ceremony. The area was replaced in March 2013 with the Fantasy Faire, which gave guests more ease in meeting the princesses and watching a show.

On August 11, 1955, the restaurant Casa de Fritos opened in Disneyland’s Frontierland. Serving Mexican food, the restaurant was famed for its specialty vending machine where kids could get a bag of Fritos chips by the Frito Kid. Guests could order dishes such as Frito Chili Pie for 55 cents, three tamales for 35 cents, and a Mexican combination plate for only $1.00; Fritos were provided for free with every dish. The restaurant was given an upgrade and a new name – Casa Mexicana – on October 1, 1982, and would go on to become Rancho del Zocalo on February 6, 2001.